The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-25
NICARAGUAN CANAL.
The Expedition to Start Tomorrow,
An Interview with Bnglnoer-in-
Charge Peary, Of the U, s, N.
His Party Will Complete the Sur
veys and Locate the Route.
How They Will Live in the Junglcs
of Central America.
Discipline and Methods To Be Used in
Accomplishing the Work lIowls
Of Tigers md Bull
Monkeys.

New YoRK, Nov. q. Tho Nicaragua
canal expedition will sail for Grcytown,
Nicaragua, saturday, to complete the sur
ycys and make the final aXial location OF
the intcroceanic canal route.
The expedition will be in charge of Civil
Engineer Pcary, United States navy, who
is now stopping in tins city aud was seen
last evening by a reporter.
When asked 10 give some details con.
corning the expedition and It's makeup
Mr.. Peary said:
"Ihe engineers composing this eNpedi
ton are men of experience and ability, and
their work, checked and repeated us it win
Ice, will bear upon its face the stamp Of en-
tire accuracy and reliability. The boat
men and laborcrs viii be the best material
that can be obtained by experienced agents
in the West Indies aud Central America
/ The whole force will be divided into scy-
cral working parties, each consisting Of
! chief, lirsl assistant or transit man, u see
ond assistant or lcycllcr aud rodmcn,
chanmon, cooks, canocmcn, aud eight or
ten maChctcrus, or men 10 cut way
! through the woods. The forests are ~
dense that il is rarely possible Tor q man 10
force his way through them without ilrSl
cutting path. The medical corps will be-
in charge Of DIR. Bmnsiord, OF he navy.
"lhe equipment Of the expedition rs the
best and complctcst that money can pur-
chase and the experience ul wears of work
on the isthmus can suggest. Every instfu.
mcnt for the work, every article OF ucccs-
sity or comfort IN camp or field aud every
ounce Of provisions has either been manu-.
iaclupd 10 order ursclcctcd, inspected aud
packed under expert supervision. IN
interesting portion OF the outfit consists ut
seventeen Steel canoes. under instructions
from Civil Engineer Mcnocal They arr
especially designed and adapted Tor srnicr
la the shallow aud obslruciod channels
and swamps along the canal route. They
nr - Is and ~ feet In length, from I to
I 3 feet beam aud from 30 tu n inches la
depth. One rs special mudcl with uu
chambers and high bows. iur Surveying IN
the suii. Their plating u oi galvanized
steel onc.twcnticih Of am inch Thick AMI
almost ~ plilbc ~ card boupl. vet suf
cicntly tough Ia encounter u-ag, that
would sOln wear out un ordinary whale
boat They arr remarkably light and ,ii!I.
with ample strength Ia sustain heavy loads
owe poragrs and 10 ding through shadows
nd upids.
4 also take with mo several complete
bgring apparatus Tor determining ihc char
uctcr and depth oi the spil along the line
Of the canal. Whrp rock occurs these
machines will determine ils location aud
depth below the surface About two
months from now when ! have decided
whcrc | wish Ia use them and have eat
roads lor them the company will send
down diamond drills aud boring tools. with
which ! shall determine the character nj
the Urk wherever Il occurs, down 10 the
bottom Of the canal.
"Ns Ia the work down thcrr. II j. u little
different lrum engineers work about here
When IN the iicld tie chief II % party h
always skirmi-hing ahead ol the line with
u pocket compass anrruid nnd one
mlchctcro, ~ aNcman, IN eat path Tor
him. II ho Is % pu.hOr hc -oun dia,arls
the marhotcrp aud learns tu slash q way
iur himself. which hc can de- much m0rr
rapidly. A. soun n- hr finds where be-
wants the line to 90 be- calls IN the
unchptrr1s and the two beet ones immr.
diaicly begin ruttiug toward the sound II
his voice They soon slash narrow plih
a. him, dive stake where hr WIS stand.
iug and then turn back toward the other
machclop. Who hu,o been following
them, cutting wider path and clearing
away VII tfrc- VINES and branches fD TINT
thc transit man can arc the Gag NJ ihc
stake The moment the head marhvtprls
reach him the chief starts into the Wuuls
again. and Us the time the uuia body ui
I mnrhriDrus have reached his former poi.
ton the head machplrrp, are cutting
toward the sound u his voice IN q new 20
sition.'
As soon NJ the line isclcarrd thctmnsii
man takes his sight nnd moves ahead a.
the stake, the chuinmo.. follow mud drive
stakes every hundred feet and the lc,clcf
follows fhtlng In elevations aud crJ.s sec.
tons IN this way the work r0cs on frpm
early IN the morning until nearly dark
stopping abput nn hour ior lunch
about O'Clock pm. WDik coasrs, and
the party starts iDf camp. The moment
IL arrives M ounce II brandy ~ whisky
j. swallowed, the wet clothes arr thrown
oil, and oyoty one takes plunge Nv the
stream flowing prs, Coo camp, u thcv is
one. A thorough bath ml rub down FOL
lows, aud by the iimr the flannel evening
aud flccpingsuils are dOnncd IT'S dark. and
tie cook has tlc hot dinner on the table
pilot bread, beans. rice, canned meat, fish,
coffee and Wild hog or turkey OF ycnispu,
or ALL After dinner comes the smoke,
, then the days notes are marked up and
duplicated, aud all hands crawl under
their mosquito nets and ac asleep IN q
moment, unless there be- some timid one
: whose eyes refuse 10 close II be- hears tho
veil NJ q distant tiger ~ the nearer howl.
ing oi some bull.,oicrd monkeys.
, "As soon IN We arrive vi breyi0Wn, thc
photographic party will begin The survey
oi the harbor aud the boring party will be-
b dispatched up The river 10 Ochol, lhc site
: ol The proposed dan, aud begin The work
j oi determining the chamcicrol the i0unda.
tons.
"Whcn We arrive u will hc just the end
Z | of the rainy srasln. aud. taking advantage
, of tie high water Ia The streams, one OF
two parties. with their equipments aud
several Ol oar steel canoes, viii proceed up
, the San huuilll az I'M eastern foot nj tie
4 divide and locate their wmps. The boats
! viii return 90 GwyiONn and cary M The
. supplies ior the parties. Tho other par.
, Ties and ihu remaining supplies viii go up
/ the SAN Juan IN the uycr steamer 10 the
mouth Of tho hau lmucIleo, Nhev my